Kiev, August 19, SPA -- Ukrainian Prime Minister YuliaTymoshenko and her Russian opposite number, Vladimir Putin,agreed today to meet next month in the Polish capitalWarsaw, Reuters cited Tymoshenko's press service as saying. The meeting will take place against a backdrop of strainedties ahead of Ukraine's presidential election next January,particularly an acerbic exchange last week between the twocountries' presidents. Tymoshenko, long at odds with Ukrainian President ViktorYushchenko, is among the leading presidential candidates. Tymoshenko and Putin will hold talks on Sept. 1 on theinvitation of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The statement said both sides were pleased with theimplementation of an agreement made in January on Russian gasflows to Ukraine after a three-week cutoff affected hundreds ofthousands of consumers in central and eastern Europe. It also said they expressed satisfaction with an accord tobegin joint production of the AN-70 military transport aircraft. The prime ministers' conversation on Wednesday, it said, wasconducted in a "friendly and constructive" manner. Relations between the two states have deteriorated overYushchenko's backing for Ukraine's bid to join NATO, his supportfor Georgia in last year's brief war with Russia and therecurring gas crises. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/693949